How many still get a cost of living raise every year?

[Quixote1818]

I know wages have been almost stagnant since around 1979 but it doesn't hurt to ask. Even if they say no it doesn't hurt to say you just want to keep up with inflation. This may seem like a dumb question but for way too many people they simply don't even ask and assume if they don't get a raise their wasn't enough money for them. This is BS so just ask and give it a shot.

Also, if you own a rental smart landlord's will raise the rent by around 3% every year. When it's only 3% people don't notice but if you go for several years and then raise it say 10% then they do notice (even though they came out ahead because you waited so long) and you fell behind for several years with the big jump not making up for what you should have been getting. Same goes for wages which is why it's so important to get some kind of a cost of living raise each year if possible.

http://www.buyupside.com/calculators/inflationjan08.htm

http://www.forbes.com/sites/moneybuilder/2012/08/10/the-average-raise-next-year-will-be-2-9-percent/

[Skittles]

1. LOL

[kestrel91316]

2. Veterinary income has been falling behind for longer than I've been a

veterinarian. Last time we kept up with inflation was in the 50's or 60's.

My sideline job doing online consulting is the only thing keeping my head above water now, what with my practice income down like it is.

[Quixote1818]

3. I believe incomes have been almost flat since the early 80's

most people are falling behind by leaps and bounds, which is why it's so important to ask and put pressure on your employer. I use to get a raise every couple of years until I asked to get one every year. It worked and now I get one every year.

Here is a graph:

[kestrel91316]

10. Lol. My "employer" is myself. I can't give myself a raise. My practice doesn't make enough right now

to do that, and may never at this rate. My client base has been economically devastated in the recession, which is NOT over IMHO.

Hence the need for outside income.

[loli phabay]

20. did your employees get raises?

[kestrel91316]

24. Over the years I have given employees many raises and have rarely given myself any.

And I take home so little that under the ACA I easily qualify for health insurance subsidies, in case you were thinking I was rich or something and screwing my TWO part-time employees.

[BeyondGeography]

4. My reward for staying up late

If not I would ask to always get one.

Thanks, man.

[Iggo]

5. Nope. It's been four years and it's getting pretty testy.

[greymattermom]

6. Kansas state employee here

One 2% raise in last 7 years, and they laid off a lot of folks to be able to do that.

[enlightenment]

30. State employees in Nevada got pay cuts

a few years ago. They "gave back" a little less than half the cut this year, but raised the mandatory pension contribution so it cancels out the increase.

[scarletwoman]

7. You're kidding, right? COLA raises went out with pensions.

I get an annual "performance evaluation", and I might get a raise if I score high enough. Last year I scored just below the highest category and was rewarded with a 2.5% raise - a whopping 35 cents more an hour.

I'm old enough to remember the days when everybody automatically got annual raises of 50 cents an hour or more, depending on their longevity. I'm pretty sure those days are long gone for most workers.

[napoleon_in_rags]

8. The only sanity is really hopping jobs.

There's a huge trend toward people getting paid less and less. People making $11/hr have the real (inflation adjusted) pay of people making the minimum wage a few decades ago, but they think they're are ahead just because others are getting paid $8.

[lapfog_1]

9. I have a small group of 3 employees

in a California bay area high tech company.

I was given a total of $8,000 a year pot to increase the salaries of all 3 (divvied up anyway I wanted).

It's something... but not a lot when you consider the cost of living in the Bay Area.

[Puzzledtraveller]

11. They've been suspended since before I began working for my present employer in 2009

State Government.

[shanti]

12. Yes, to my pension

Who knows how long this will last tho...

[whoiswithme]

13. Rental rates have been very stagnant for a long period from the early 90's through 2008 or so.

[hobbit709]

14. Not around here.

[whoiswithme]

16. You live in Texas though.

Sharply changing rental rates have much more to do with large changes in home values or demand for housing. You missed out on the big boom leading up through the early 2000, but have instead continuously Increased a slight amount each year.

[hobbit709]

21. Wrong

Rents been climbing way higher than inflation and prevailing wages for the last 25 years, even after the economy soured.

[whoiswithme]

22. All real estate is local

It doesn't do any good to discuss anything other than what you have going on there. I don't even know anything about Austin, just Texas in general. Around here college towns are different than the neighboring communities due to ever increasing demand from college students. Your rents are higher than around here. A nice 3-4br home rents for around $1000/month here. The same house costs $140k to buy.

[FSogol]

15. My wife does. She works for a County-owned utility company. n/t

[RadiationTherapy]

17. AZ State employee at a university library. 11 years and essentially the same pay.

Can't say the same for the Dean and her "executive team" who regularly get their 5-10-15% raises annually and make between $75 and $120k a year. It is like a corporation here.

[Capt. Obvious]

18. I never did

This year I was given a -9% cut.

[loli phabay]

19. yup got one this year, also got a ten percent raise to bring inline with new guidlines

Though i did take a seventy percent paycut last year to move jobs so i am still way behind but no more commute and better hours are worth it.

[ileus]

23. Our hospital gave us a COL back in the 90's...I think.

4% is the max on our merit raises, so I doubt we'll ever see another COLR again.

[hack89]

25. Haven't missed one in eleven years.

a couple of years it was only 1.5% but my company makes annual raises a priority.

[Marrah_G]

26. LOL

All I've got is cut after cut of hours.

[redstatebluegirl]

27. What is that :-(

[Not Sure]

28. Yes, annual increase per union agreement

[DJ13]

29. No raises at my wife's job since 2007

And that holds true for every one of the 60 people that works there.

[arcane1]

31. I get a 2% "merit increase" every year. Whether that's "cost of living" is debatable.

I've been fortunate that my rent has remained the same for 5 years now. But, my employer relocated two years ago, and now instead of walking to work for free, I pay $200 per month to ride the train.

I still haven't made enough, after two years of this increase, to make up for that extra $200 after taxes.